Spoils is a satirical take on the “epic” miniseries that were all the rage in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, almost always based on a novel. Producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay were able to gather their impressive cast for a purposely over the top tale of the adopted son (Maguire) of a poor man (Robbins) who makes it big and his turbulent forbidden romance with his adoptive sister (Wiig), in a story which -- of course -- takes place over the course of several decades.

Tobey Maguire and Kristen Wiig in The Spoils of Babylon.

Co-writers Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steel (Piedmont also directed) appeared at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, along with Maguire, Wiig and Osment. Discussing what brought them to the project, Wiig noted, “I worked on SNL with Andrew. It was a pretty quick yes for me. It’s always nice to work with friends!”

Maguire joked that doing the low-budget The Spoils of Babylon was “sort of philanthropic for me,” before remarking, “I thought it would be fun. I read the script. I talked to Matt about it. I said if Kristen does it, I’m definitely doing it.”

Osment, who plays a villain in the story, explained, “Getting to play the villain is something a lot of actors want to do. Getting to play the evil, black-hearted bastard in this was very fun.”

Haley Joel Osment in The Spoils of Babylon.

It was noted that this cast could just as easily be in a big drama and Steel said he loved instead putting them in something so ridiculous, saying, “That’s what you do with a cast like this,” with Maguire laughing, “You waste them!”

Maguire said he didn’t really have any thoughts about Spoils being a TV project vs. a movie, noting, “I don’t really mind the delivery system. If it’s something I want to do and I’m excited about, I don’t consider it that much.”

Steel praised the cast, noting the intention was to play things pretty straight, "And these guys were really committed. Sometimes you look at it and say, ‘is this going to be too boring?’, but the commitment made it pay off."

Ferrell appears in wraparounds as Eric Jonrosh, the author of the book and the supposed writer/director of the miniseries – also popping up in the miniseries itself a bit. As Steel explained, “The author was just so bold enough to pretend he could act.”

Exit Theatre Mode

The idea in The Spoils of Babylon is that the cast is not good and all the actual cast members were given personas for the fictional bad actors they were playing, beyond their Spoils characters. Said Maguire, “It’s really great when you get to play a bad actor playing a part. I would tell Matt, ‘I have no idea what we’re doing in this scene’ and we’d just keep going.”

Steel and Piedmont discussed making sure all the cast were on the same page as far as the tone and style, with Steel admitting, “It is a little difficult sometimes to know where the line is,” but that the "bad actor" idea was a big help. Said Piedmont, “The energy is to not have their be a wrong answer in the performance. Everyone do what they came to do." Added Steel, “An actor who gets to play a bad actor playing a role I think is fun for all of them and I think they all got that aspect.”

As Wiig put it, “It’s always fun to do something overly dramatic and not worry if you’re doing a good job acting.”

Tobey Maguire and "Lady Anne" in The Spoils of Babylon.

One of the most bizarre aspects of The Spoils of Babylon is “Lady Anne,” a love interest of Maguire’s character who is "played" by a mannequin, voiced by Carey Mulligan. Asked the origins of this inclusion, Steel simply said, “There was an old mannequin head lying in the corner of an old barn I owned. I sent it to Matt and said, ‘This is my Lady Anne.’” Piedmont chimed in that we shouldn't ask why there was a mannequin head in Steel’s barn.

One of the most amusing points of the panel had Maguire bringing up the time he guest starred on Walker: Texas Ranger as a teenager and how great he thought he was at the time, only to look back and think, “Wow, was I bad.” And yes, Osment then brought up his ownConan O'Brien/internet-popularized guest spot on Walker, as a kid who has AIDS.

Maguire was in an actual dramatic, lavish period piece, The Great Gatsby, last year. Asked if he found Spoils to be the comedic flip side to that, he deadpanned, “It was so similar at times, I didn’t know which production I was in. It was very confusing for me.”

Summing up The Spoils of Babylon, Maguire stated, “For those who watch this, I’m sorry and you’re welcome.”

And if that doesn't sell you, keep in mind Wiig promised "the funniest heroin scene ever."